BEST commuters eagerly wait for WiFi services

The BEST committee has recently approved the proposal to provide free WiFi connectivity in both AC and non-AC buses in the city.

| TNN | Mar 18, 2017, 01.00 AM IST

BEST Bus Depot (Prashant Jadhav)

The BEST committee has recently approved the proposal to provide free WiFi connectivity in both AC and non-AC buses in the city.

Be it young college students, busy professionals, housewives or retired senior citizens; a large portion of the population is hooked on to their smartphones and tabs. So free WiFi, is always welcome. Just the sign of free WiFi attracts crowds to cafes and now, several railway stations as well. With more places getting connected to wireless internet, BEST has joined the fray to offer commuters free internet on the go.

Work on the project begun in the first week of March, and commuters can expect services to commence by June. Soon, buses plying the city will have routers for internet surfing. Additionally, 52 bus depots will also have WiFi facility. In a few months from now, the city will have a new fleet of electronic buses.

Why WiFi?
Having done an extensive study on commuter behaviour, the local bus service has taken up this initiative to provide people some entertainment while they travel. "From collegians to office-goers, everybody is hooked to their phones. Hence, this step was taken for our customers," says Hanumant Gophane (public relation officer, BEST).

Track your ride
You can soon bid adieu to long waits at bus stops. "The introduction of WiFi is to help commuters track their bus and accordingly make a move to their respective bus stops. This way they will have a clear picture of where their bus is," adds Gophane.

Routers installed in buses will help track their location and an estimate of the time taken to reach the nearest bus stand. It will also gauge the distance and time to cover a certain stretch.

User-friendly app
A popular app has already been specially developed for commuters to check train timings. BEST has also ventured into this space. They have launched an app that is user-friendly and isn't difficult to understand, assure officials. An increasing number of commuters have already started using it and find it reliable.

Mumbaikars speak
Mumbai is known to be a busy city and working professionals prefer not to while away all the time it takes for them to get to work. "Sometimes, downloading large attachments on the phone needs a certain net bandwidth and this provision will only prove to be a boon. This will lessen the hassle and stress of getting to work during peak hours, as work can be done on-the-go," says banker Swapna Sorra.
Preetam Shelar, a media student, adds, "I follow cricket very closely and this facility assures that I can live stream a cricket match if I'm stuck in traffic. This means I won't have to rely on anybody for score updates."

Apart from this, onboard entertainment such as watching videos and movies, along with social networking, is also on the cards for BEST commuters.

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